Home Visits: Saba + Lenco +CAS

Home Visits: Saba + Lenco +CAS

Highly recommended: Vash's own Blog; Lenco Heaven

One fine day recently I called Vash and spontaneously arranged to visit him, primarily to listen to the Saba speaker and Lenco TT and Decca cartridge. Vash is a naughty fellow who experiments with all sorts of gears and DIY at a high level. This time the gears have changed a lot from my previous visit, and luckily I remembered to take my camera. The analogue setup and amplification are relatively simple:

TT - Lenco-Daiwok L75TT + Trans-Fi Terminator Tonearm (air-pump) + London/Decca Jubilee (with Daiwok's branded accessories 'Midas Touch' sandwiched between head-shell and cartridge).
Phono - DACT CT100 (Battery powered)
Preamp - Restek Consens
Power amp - VTL ST-150 (2008 version)
Speakers - Saba Reso with Siemens tweeter (first order crossover)(The article on assemblage of the Saba Reso in Vash's Blog is highly entertaining)

The elaborate and eclectic Digital setups merit a little description:

The main DAC used is - Lavry Blue 4496 with 3 cards to accept 3 inputs. Obviously this accepts up to 96 only.
For regular CD replay: Meridian 500 + 518 as source
For CAS: Firewire interface into Weiss converter
For some CDs - Tandberg 14-bit player direct analogue out
For HDCD - Audio Alchemy DDE 1.2 DAC is used
For SACD - dCS p8i

I stayed about one hour and listened to almost every combination. I must say the Saba Reso speakers, which I first heard so impressively at the home of Daiwok (tugged into corners), revealed even more of its potential this time when placed freely in the middle of the room. Needless to say, simple chamber music and cello solo were magnificently rendered, sounding dynamically close to uncompressed. The leading edge of Starker's cello was fast and lively, with no overhang; crescendos were for once completely natural and unforced, and all these I attribute partly to the speakers and partly the Decca cartridge/TT combo. Here the effect for my taste surpassed the Magnepan 1.6 I heard last time (and that was very good already). Even large symphonic works were delivered eminently satisfactorily. Whatever the simple speakers were missing in terms of ultimate composure and magnitude they were compensated by a superb fluidity and naturalness. The VTL 150 is a lot of power for these speakers but they seem to take it well enough.

One reason I enjoy visiting Vash is because of the balance he strikes between various media. Analogue and digital playbacks both sound balanced. And we could enjoy the various digital technology. I appreciate that he recognizes the achievement of some early players. Here's a man who chases after the newest hi-res files but can also hear the goodness of some old players. This is in stark contrast with many modern CAS people, who have very little experience with analogue or older technology, and that makes their preaching highly dubious (indeed there is a lot of commercial interest behind these things).

The Yumcha Diaries: 29-05-10 A Tale of THREE Maggies

The Yumcha Diaries: 29-05-10A Tale of THREE Maggies

After more than 2 months in NYC, it was nice to be back in HK and to have met up again with old friends and tasty dim-sum. It was also a little unsettling to learn of the health issues of an old friend. We ARE all getting old!

A Visit to Excel
After yumcha, five of us went to Excel Central hear their Magnepan 1.7. When we arrived, the Maggie 1.7 was already playing in their LARGE room (over 500 ft we estimate). The 1.7 must be getting a lot of attentions.

Sound was reasonably good at low volume and with simple material, but not top notch. The 2 entry level PrimaLuna Prologue integrated amps used (One/EL34, Two/KT88) have long been favored by 俞師傅. However, in this large room, they simply could not drive the Maggies adequately. Clipping was heard with vocals and Mahler seemed to be playing in a tunnel. A switch to the huge Krell integrated amp brought much better control, but the whistling on the Masekela Hope album and the cymbal touches were white in color and inaccurate. Despite the sonic shortcomings it is commendable that bass was quite full and good, though sluggish due to lack of power. Overall, the demo did not do the 1.7 justice.

Back to the Magnepan 1.6
Disappointed, we all went to jules' setup for some rejuvenation. His current setup:

Digital: Orpheus combo
Preamp: Cello Suite
Amp: ML ML3

Even though jules, busy with work and being dad to 2 young children, had not fired up his set in months, sound was really enticing, as usual. Rokia Traore and Masekela (see "CD recommendation 2" below) were immediately brought back to life. The VPO came out of the tunnel in Mahler 5 too. Indeed it was hard to fault the pristine sound. Since the amplification was familiar to me, I attribute the mesmerizing delivery of the treble, vivacious and rhythmically enticing, to the Orpheus (Anagram) digitals. This is digital done right and a relatively rare example of good-sounding 24/192. We spent a happy 2 hrs there before dispersing.

An Previous Visit to VASH
I'll use this space to tie up a little loose end. Months ago I had the pleasure of visiting Vash to audition his Magnepan 1.6 and, even more importantly, I was eager to hear his CAS. I hadn't brought a camera, but while sipping his latte I drew a picture of his wonderful home, full of toys. On that date his VERY complicated system comprised the following:

TT - Clearaudio Champion/Rega RB250 w/Clearaudio Audioquint tonearm wire + Expressimo Heavy Weight mod.
Phono - DACT CT100 (Battery powered)
SACDP (and DAC) - dCS p8i
CD Transport - Meridian 500 + 518
PC output via M-Audio Firewire Audiophile to p8i digital input
Balanced line stage - DACT CT100+CT101
Non-balanced line stage - Transcedent Sound GG (custom built with dual mono tubes power supply)
Power amp. - Sunfire Architect's Choice series II signature.

I must say Vash was one fearless man! Music was played LOUD, and the 1.6 was vibrant, fast and exciting. With Vash's GG preamp, sometimes there was a slightly restless quality. On that day, another DIY preamp of mellower flavor was also tested. Highly commendable too was the CAS playback, amongst the best I have heard. All in all, a highly satisfying afternoon.